Past, Present, and Fortunes
by ObsessiveFanNumber1
Summary: Dan brings Keith to see the fortune teller again & learns about Keith's previous fortunes that have to be dealt with now. Which happens to include that Keith's future is supposed to turn out darker than the fortune teller has seen from anyone...
1. Chapter 1

**Me: Yay! First story ever!**

**Keith: What exactly is this?**

**Dan: And how come we're here?**

**Me: You're here for two reasons. One, you're the main characters in the story, so you have to be. And two, to do the disclaimer!**

**Keith: ...I'm leaving. *turn to leave***

**Me: No you aren't! Come on, Keith! Will you stay if I make Dan do it?**

**Dan: Hey!**

**Keith: *pause* *smile* Alright.**

**Dan: Keith!**

**Me: Do it, Dan.**

**Dan: Aw, man! Fine. Obsessive-Fan Number 1 doesn't own the rights to anything at all in this story.**

**Me: Thanks, Dan!**

**Keith: *smirking a little* (Being pushed around by a girl who isn't even Runo...)**

**Me: To the story, then!**

* * *

"Come on, Keith!" Dan pulled on Keith's arm like a little kid would. "It'll be fun!"

"How am I going to know _that_ when you refuse to tell me what we're doing?" Keith twisted Dan's wrist.

"Ow ow ow!" Dan let go, rubbing his wrist. He stuck his tongue out at Keith. "I don't think you've got this kind of stuff on Vestal. Besides, her exact words were 'Bring the Pyrus warrior whom you have fought many times' if I want her to do it." When he was quoting, Dan closed his eyes and held up one finger, like he was pretending to be some wise man (which Keith knew for a fact he was not).

"Her?" Keith repeated. This was the first clue _he'd_ heard.

Dan pretended to zip his mouth shut. He threw the imaginary key over his shoulder and—of course—spoke again. "No more hints! We're almost there!" He grabbed Keith's arm and started dragging him again.

Keith groaned silently. _Why did I force Gus to stay behind?_

* * *

"_Okay, come on, Keith!" Dan was standing in the doorway._

_Keith glanced at him. "For what?"_

"_For something!"_

"_Because _that's_ going to make me come."_

_Dan walked over, grabbed Keith's arm, and started trying to drag him. "You're coming whether you like it or not!"_

Three, two, one,_ Keith thought, not even moving._

_Gus punched Dan in the face, instantly twisting the Pyrus brawler's arm behind him. "The fact that we're part of the Resistance now doesn't mean that Master Keith has to take orders from you."_

"_Ow! Leggo!" Dan somehow managed to pull free, and he took a few steps away. "We're on the same side now, remember? No trying to break my arm off!"_

"_Should've seen that coming, Dan Kuso," Keith said quietly, trying not to smile._

_Dan stuck his tongue out at Keith. "Come on! I promise it's safe!"_

"_Your idea of 'safe' isn't entirely one I trust," Gus said._

_Keith _was_ getting a little curious. "Still, now that we've defeated the old fool, there can't be too much true danger involved."_

"_Does that mean you'll come?" Dan said hopefully. Keith nodded._

"_Sir—" Gus started, looking a little uneasy._

"_Stay here, Gus."_

"_But—"_

"_Even if Dan is wrong, I'm sure I can handle it."_

_Gus looked down. "Yes, Master Keith."_

* * *

Gus had only disobeyed Keith's direct order once, and Keith had a feeling that that situation was the only way he _would_. Keith was on his own. "The 'Pyrus warrior' could've easily meant someone else, Dan."

"Yeah, but there's nobody I've fought more than you," Dan said. "It's you; I'm 100% sure!" He held his finger to his lips. "Now _shh_. We're almost there. Close your eyes."

"Why should I, Dan Kuso?"

"Because it makes it so much cooler! Are you gonna do it, or do I have to cover your eyes?" Dan said. Keith rolled his eyes, but closed them. There shouldn't be any problem with pretending to go along with it. Besides, Dan _wasn't_ covering his eyes. "Good," Dan said, pulling Keith forward. "I'm back!" he called to someone—probably the "her" he'd mentioned. "And I brought him!" Dan tugged Keith forward again.

"Excellent," a female voice said.

Keith froze. _I know that voice..._ His eyes flew open. Sure enough, they were at the witch's stand. "You again?" he said, outraged.

The witch smiled. "We meet a third time."

"Huh?" Dan said.

Keith turned on him. "What do you think you're doing, bringing me to this witch?"

"What? You two know each other?" Dan looked back and forth between Keith and the witch.

"We've met," Keith said shortly.

"Not quite," the witch said. "His other half was told his fortune."

"An unwanted prediction!" Keith snapped.

"Other half?" Dan said.

"She means—" Keith sighed angrily and pulled out the mask. Putting it on, he said, "What the witch means is that she's seen Spectra."

The witch smiled. "Now the Pyrus warrior has re-emerged."

"Your _predictions_ were the last thing I needed before," Keith said coolly. "I need them even less now, witch."

"Why do you keep calling her 'witch'?" Dan asked. "She's a fortune teller."

"A witch's trade," Keith said simply.

"I didn't know _you_ were so superstitious."

"I'm not. That's why I don't listen to people like _her_."

"All the witch talk sure makes it sound like you are."

"I don't normally give titles where they don't belong, Dan."

"Well, what did she say to make you so mad at her?"

Keith clenched his hand into a fist. "Don't ask."

"I just did."

"Drop it, Dan."

"Tell me first!"

Keith punched Dan across the face—hard.

"Ow!" Dan fell flat on his back. Sitting up, he started to say, "What was _that_ for?" but he only got to the word "was" before he saw Keith and froze. "K-Keith?" he said nervously.

"If you want to know so badly, Dan Kuso," Spectra said tensely, "then ask the witch. She's the one who said it first." He looked away, and Dan swore that he turned back into Keith. "But I won't repeat her false claim, and I'm not going to at all."

"Will you repeat your future?" the fortune teller said calmly.

"Quiet, _witch_," Keith snapped.

"You've just proven them to be true."

"The only thing I've proven about your predictions is that they _aren't_ true," Keith said.

Dan didn't know what Keith was told, but he _did_ know Keith. He didn't _get it_, but he saw the fear that Keith was trying to hide. _Maybe I should've let him bring Helios._ Dan hadn't let Helios _or_ Drago come. He knew that Drago took all the fun out of this kind of thing, and he'd assumed Helios would do the same. But now Dan was starting to think that bringing Helios would've been a good idea.

"You've fought much since our last meeting," the fortune teller said.

"Not for the reasons I did then," Keith said.

"A thorn draws blood by any name you give it."

"Violence to _protect_ is different from violence to _gain_," Keith said coolly. "The first isn't something I regret." He was starting to look ready to punch something again.

Dan quickly asked another question so _something_ wouldn't be _him_. "When did you two meet each other before?"

Keith glanced at him. He'd almost forgotten Dan was even there. "Before and after I captured Drago," he said softly. "The first time, the witch said that there was supposedly violence in my future."

"What about the second time?" Dan asked carefully. He didn't want to get punched again.

Keith's hands clenched into fists. "That's the one I mind, Dan Kuso."

"Please tell me!" Dan pleaded. "Come on, Keith, you have to!"

Keith's expression turned to stone. "I don't _have_ to do _anything_." He looked back at the witch. "And the one he's asking about?" he said scornfully. "How could I have proven _that_ to be 'true' since I became a member of the Resistance? I doubt even you would see that as _darker_ than leading the Vexos."

"Darker?" Dan repeated.

Keith tensed. It was true he didn't believe all the voodoo nonsense. But—and he would never admit this to anyone except for _possibly_ Helios and Gus—whether he believed the witch or not, her second assumption _scared_ Keith.

"The asker has learned part," the witch said with a smile, spreading her hands with her palms up in an obvious 'oh well' motion. "What will you do?"

Keith punched the support for the archway above, not really caring that his knuckles were starting to bleed, and closed his eyes. "Why would I repeat something I know to be a lie?"

"Belief doesn't affect reaction much. It only minimizes it," the witch said, "though how much it does for _you_...I wonder that."

"It seems you'll have to go without seeing that," Keith said, a little scornful again. "After all, in order to know how much it's minimized, you would have to know how I'd react if I believed your trade. I'm sure I've made it clear to even _you _that I don't."

"Will you repeat the rest?" the fortune teller said calmly.

Keith looked away again. "Why would I tell a false claim?" he said, but Dan could see him wavering.

"Because we're friends, and I'm worried about you!" Dan said. "Come on, Keith. You try only hearing the word 'darker' in a fortune about your friend. Tell me the whole thing."

Keith didn't say a word.

"Come _on_, Keith!" Dan raised his voice.

Keith glanced at him, and Dan could swear he changed again. "Do you really want to provoke me, Dan Kuso?" Spectra said, his voice like ice.

Dan glared Spectra straight in the eye. "If it means helping out my friend, then you bet." Maybe all this was Dan's imagination. But it really seemed like those words made him turn back into Keith.

The Vestal brawler closed his eyes. "You aren't going to give up on this, are you, Dan." It wasn't even a question.

Stubbornly, Dan shook his head. "Not until you tell me the whole thing."

"Darker in a matter of minutes," Keith said finally. His voice almost broke on the last word, but Dan didn't mention that.

"Minutes?" Dan repeated

Keith looked him straight in the eye. "In the few minutes it took for Helios and I to win Drago, the witch claimed that my future had become darker than she'd ever seen." He looked at the fortune teller, and Dan could hear traces of fear in Keith's voice when he said, "How could _that_ have supposedly been proven 'true'?"

"The Pyrus warrior still controls, even here and now," the fortune teller said.

"What the h*ll is that supposed to mean?" Keith snapped, but he pulled back slightly. Dan hadn't ever seen Keith this scared.

The fortune teller looked at Dan, waiting for him to answer.

Dan gulped, hoping he wouldn't get punched again. "Keith," he said, "I think you keep turning back into Spectra."

* * *

**Dan: WHAT?**

**Keith: …**

**Me: Cliffhanger!**

**Dan: You're cutting it off THERE?**

**Me: Yup! Please review, and I'll be sure to have the new chapter up by next week! (By the way, if anyone's wondering, you can tell whose POV it's from by whether they refer to her as "the fortune teller" (Dan) or "the witch" (Keith). Just if you're curious/confused/wondering for any reason.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Chapter 2 of "Past, Present, and Fortunes" opens...now!**

**Dan: Is Keith gonna answer me or not?**

**Me: Whoa, slow down, Dan. Disclaimer first.**

**Keith: ...I'll do it. Obsessive-Fan Number 1 doesn't own the rights to anything in this story.**

**Me: Thanks, Keith. Now, continuing!**

* * *

Keith tensed. That was exactly what was happening and exactly what he was afraid of.

"You are, aren't you!" Dan demanded, worried.

"Something I have completely under control," Keith said, "is no proof." His voice was tense with anger and fear.

"Under control?" Dan repeated. "Sure you do! That's why you've already _lost_ control twice since we got here!" He was fuming.

"Dealing with Spectra isn't your issue now, Dan Kuso," Keith said coolly. "None of you can do a thing about it. I haven't told anyone for that reason." His eyes filled with ice when he looked at Dan. "And _no one is going to learn._"

"You want me to keep _this_ a secret!"

"The others have finally adjusted to everything that's changed since we destroyed the Alternative. Telling them this and the fact that they can't do a thing would only make them worry pointlessly."

"_Pointlessly_? It's not pointless to worry about our friend!"

"It is when there's nothing you can do."

"What about Mira? Are you even hiding from her that she's losing her brother after she finally has you _back_?"

"I'm keeping it hidden from her more than anyone."

"Why? She's your sister! Not telling her is like saying you don't care about her!"

"Don't you dare accuse me of not caring for my sister, Dan Kuso!" Keith shouted, kicking Dan in the face. "I'm the only blood family she has _left _now. How do you think she'd react to something like this?"

Dan glared at him from the ground. "She'd break down."

"Exactly," Keith said.

"And then she'd do everything she could to help," Dan finished, like Keith hadn't spoken.

"_There's nothing anyone else can do!_ What part of that don't you understand, Dan Kuso?"

"We have to be able to do something!"

"_You can't_!" Keith turned away. Hopelessness filled his voice when he said, "I'm the only one who can get it under control." Quieter, he added, "If it's even _possible_." He honestly wasn't sure if it was.

"So we can't even be there to support you?" Dan said. "You can't beat Spectra alone, Keith, and you know it. There's a big difference between being _left_ and being _alive_. If you turn into Spectra again, you'll only be alive. We all worked together to help you wake up. Don't make us—don't make _Mira—_stand by and watch you fall asleep again, because if you do, I don't think you'll wake up. Forcing Mira to go through that again _would kill her_!"

Keith tensed. Even as Spectra, he'd tried to keep Mira out of harm's way. If she—he wouldn't _let_ her get hurt or killed. Still... "Even if I can't keep it under control, Mira will still have Ace and Baron no matter what, and the rest of you while we're on Earth."

"None of us can replace her older brother, Keith! Trust me; I know we can't."

"You did well enough before."

"Yeah right! Did you somehow miss the fact that she kept on helping you?"

"Do you really believe she did that _willingly_, Dan Kuso? Blood family or not, she wanted to continue helping the Resistance. I _forced_ her to change sides."

"What?" That was the first detail _Dan_ had heard. Neither Mira or Keith liked talking about it, and no one pestered them for more than what they knew.

"You heard," Keith said, his voice like steel. "If it were Mira's choice, she never would've helped me."

"You..._forced_ Mira to help you and Gus?"

"I abandoned her years ago. She didn't want to help me fight the ones who'd become her true family. I didn't give her any say in the matter. Do you honestly think I don't regret that, Dan Kuso?" Keith looked away from Dan. "I've hurt Mira enough with that. Telling her that I can't fully control Spectra? I don't think I need to tell you how she'd react."

Looking down at the ground, Dan admitted, "Pretty bad."

"Precisely. I've put Mira through enough. Now that we've destroyed the Alternative, most everyone is hoping for some peace for a while. If Mira learned about this now, she wouldn't be able to handle it, especially since she's still mourning Father."

"But, Keith...we can't _not_ tell them!" Dan protested. "Don't they deserve a warning in case you lose control around them? What about people like Mira? And Helios? And even Gus?"

"I'm not going to let anyone more know than those who already do. No exceptions," Keith said simply. "You and Helios are difficult enough to keep quiet."

"Wait, Helios knows?" _At least that's _someone_,_ Dan thought, relieved that he didn't have to be the only one keeping the secret.

"Of course he does."

"But why would you tell him and no one else?"

"I didn't."

"You just said—"

"—that he _knows._ I didn't tell him." Seeing Dan's lost expression, Keith said, "Helios was the one who figured out what was going on in the first place. He realized it before _I _did."

"_Helios_? Figured it out before _you_?"

"Don't sound so surprised, Dan Kuso."

"But I don't get it!" Dan whined. "Helios isn't exactly the kind of Bakugan you think of as 'insightful'."

Keith had to smile at Dan's reasoning. "One you _think_ of, no. That doesn't necessarily mean he isn't."

"And it's happening to you," Dan continued. "How could he notice first?"

Suddenly aware of the fact that the witch was still right there (he'd managed to forget that for a few minutes), Keith said coolly, "I'll explain to you after we go back, Dan. After _she's_ gone."

Dan glanced at the fortune teller, having totally forgotten that she was listening/watching this whole thing. Immediately furious, he lunged forward, slamming his hands on the small table. "Why the h*ll would you tell me to bring him if _that_ was what you told him before?"

The fortune teller smiled gently. "The Pyrus warrior has kept his secrets, even those that hurt him."

"I don't suppose it matters to you that if I told them, then they would be hurt by it even more," Keith said coolly.

"Your reasons are yours alone," the fortune teller said, looking at him. "But the Pyrus master is one you can trust to help you."

_Pyrus _master_?_ Dan thought. He liked the sound of that. Keith looked just a _little_ irritated.

"If you choose to keep it hidden, there's no way for you to regain yourself," the witch said, closing her eyes. "But if you allow those you care for to do the same..."—she opened them and looked at Keith—"then your future has hope."

Keith didn't respond. He'd never believed her in the first place. But still...it was—fine, he'd admit it—a little reassuring.

Dan grinned, relieved. He could see that Keith had settled down a bit, and as long as _that_ was worked out... "What about me?" he said eagerly.

"After all she's said already, you still are willing to listen to her?" Keith glanced at Dan.

"Well, that _was_ the whole reason I brought you in the first place. Might as well make it worth it, right?" Dan said. Keith shook his head, but he was smiling. Dan was absolutely hopeless. "So?" Dan pestered.

The fortune teller closed her eyes again. "As the Pyrus master, you hold great responsibility on _all_ worlds. You haven't seen all, nor completed all of their trials meant for you, even here. You will be forced to endure hardships of betrayal and loss of faith, but through it all, you must remain strong. If you don't, you and your Guardian will be the final ones to fall."

* * *

**Dan: (sarcasm) Yikes, gee, no pressure or anything.**

**Me: Nope! None at all!**

**Dan: Uh, yeah. Did you hear her?**

**Keith: …(Pyrus MASTER…) (sulking just a little)**

**Me: Not only did I hear her, I wrote down what she said. So quit whining.**

**Dan: (glare)**

**Me: Please review! And I will scream with joy!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: Thank you, numbuh 422 and Starbright-708 for reviewing! Especially my Zodiac Buddy there. *****laughs* Thanks for insisting I continue!**

**Keith: You weren't going to?**

**Me: Not at first. But then I changed my mind when I saw how much people liked it and I asked Starbright-708 what she thought.**

**Dan: Can we get on with it then?**

**Me: After you do the disclaimer.**

**Dan: Obsessive-Fan Number 1 doesn't own anything.**

**Me: Thanks. Here it is!**

* * *

"And after _that_ cheerful message," Dan muttered sarcastically a few minutes later. Having got what they—actually, what _Dan—_came for, the two Pyrus brawlers had left to go back to Marucho's mansion.

"Ignore it," Keith said.

"I can't!"

"If I can prove her predictions wrong, so can you. The witch was rambling."

"You know, all the 'witch' talk still makes you sound superstitious."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Someone who's superstitious would believe the witch. Trust me, Dan Kuso. You don't have anything to worry about."

Dan bit his lip. "Are you sure, Keith?"

"Would I tell you that if I wasn't? I'm positive. You'll be fine."

"Sure puts a lot of pressure on a guy, though," Dan muttered.

"Then why are you worried? You work best under pressure."

"No I don't!"

"How is it that you manage to continuously defeat Helios and me, then?" Keith challenged, surprising Dan. "You've known from the start how much pressure is put on you about that, yet you somehow do it every single time."

"Yeah, but that's different!"

"How? Tell me _one_ way that it's any different from fighting Helios and me."

"Against you guys, it's always a brawl!"

"She never said that any of the so-called 'trials' wouldn't be brawls."

"Betrayal? And loss of faith? Those aren't brawls!"

"Not automatically. That doesn't mean that brawling can't be part of them."

"It's implied!"

"She's a fortune teller. _Everything_ is implied. Don't worry so much about it."

"Easy for _you_ to say!" Dan regretted the words the instant they left his mouth.

Keith narrowed his eyes. "Easy for me to say?" he repeated softly. "Maybe as Spectra. From the time I couldn't care less how dark my future would supposedly be, yes. But right now isn't that time. I care, if not for myself, then for Mira. I'm being hypocritical when I tell you not to pay so much attention to it, but you need to understand that, in every word she said, the witch never told you that there wasn't hope. She never said that you would fail. And there wasn't anything even _implied_ that you would be doing it alone. The one assuming all of that is _you_. This is why I'm telling you to ignore it. If you focus so much on everything she said _could_ happen, then I guarantee that she'll be right."

"What?"

"If you can't get past worrying about the witch's prediction, then you'll never be able to make it through the same kind of thing you did for us. You won't be able to focus on the immediate problems, because you'll be too busy trying to avoid some witch's stupid claim," Keith said, blunter about it than Dan thought he _could_ be about anything.

"But—"

"Listen to me, Dan Kuso!" Keith said fiercely, looking Dan straight in the eye. "Don't let the witch's predictions force themselves to be true. Look, she even acknowledged you as the Pyrus master. You can handle whatever—if any—parts come true, and all those that she didn't mention. Have some faith in yourself. If you don't, then maybe you don't deserve to have the Ultimate Bakugan as your guardian."

"Don't deserve?" Dan repeated.

"Yes. _Don't. Deserve._ Why would you be trusted with such a responsibility when you can't move past a prediction that there's no proof will possibly come true?"

"But I—"

"Get over it, Dan Kuso. I'm done discussing it." Keith turned away and kept walking, leaving Dan to gape at him for a few seconds before running to catch up.

* * *

**Me: Argh! Sorry it's so short, but I've been really busy lately.**

**Dan: So busy that you can upload other stories.**

**Me: Shut up, Daniel. I really have been. Those other ones were already typed up; I just had to upload them. Please review, and I will try my best to have more time for the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Me: Chapter 4! Man, this is going longer than I thought it would, but that's an epically awesome thing! By the way, sorry for taking so long.**

**Keith: ...You enjoy torturing me, don't you?**

**Me: Yup! You just figured that out, Keith?**

**Keith: (I can hope, can't I?)**

**Dan: (point at Keith) His turn!**

**Keith: Stop pointing like an idiot, Dan Kuso. I'll do it anyway. Obsessive-Fan Number 1 doesn't own the rights to anything in this story.**

**Me: Thanks, Keith. Here it is!**

* * *

Finally, the two Pyrus brawlers got back to the mansion. Dan had been trying to talk to Keith for the entire rest of the time, but Keith refused to say another word to him. "Real mature, Keith!" Dan said angrily, glaring at him before running inside.

"Like you're any better," Keith muttered, rolling his eyes as he followed. _I don't know why I put up with his foolishness sometimes,_ he thought, even though he did know. Dan had helped him wake up before. Keith did trust Dan; the fact that Dan knew about how little control Keith actually had and wasn't going to die for that reason should be proof of that. Whether he _liked _Dan or not depended on how stupid the human brawler was acting at the moment.

"Dan! Keith! You're back!" Runo said, surprised. Yes, the three human girls who were part of the original Battle Brawlers were staying at Marucho's mansion, too. Something about an "ultimate sleepover party", as Julie had put it. Keith figured it had more to do with wanting to spend more time with their friends—and in a case like Dan and Runo's, crush—after being apart so long.

"Were you expecting it to take longer?" Keith said, shooting Dan a 'don't forget you can't tell anyone' look.

Dan made a face at him. "It was just a quick thing, Runo," he said, looking at his girlfriend.

"Still, with the two of you..." Runo exchanged a look with Mira.

"We thought for sure that it'd turn into a brawl, whatever 'it' was," Mira said, walking over next to Keith. Relief filled her smile, but traces of unease still lingered in her eyes. She still worried practically every time Keith was out of her sight, it seemed.

"It almost did," Keith said, giving her a quick, reassuring hug, "thanks to Dan Kuso's idiocy."

"Oh, shut up, Keith! How was I supposed to know?" Dan said. Actually, more like 'snapped', since he was still mad about Keith giving him the silent treatment. Keith's eyes flashed danger. Dan gulped and covered his mouth. _Great, now he's mad at me! Uh-oh..._

"Know what?" Mira asked, worried again.

"It's not important," Keith said quickly. He glared flames at Dan when neither of the girls were looking.

Dan held up his hands innocently. "I can't help a little slip-up!" he mouthed.

"_Then figure out how to help it fast, Dan Kuso."_ Keith didn't actually say the words, but Dan heard them anyway. ** (A/N: Think what he did when he challenged Dan at the beginning of "Spectra's Last Stand".)** Honestly, it still creeped Dan out when he did that. The human Pyrus brawler resorted to clamping his mouth shut and glaring at Keith.

"Are you sure, Keith?" Mira said.

"I promise," Keith said seriously.

Dan knew how blunt the lie was now. He almost flinched, but he knew that Keith would _really_ give him h*ll if he slipped up again right after he just did. _Can't they see how obviously he's _lying_?_ But of course they couldn't. _Dan_ hadn't until the fortune teller. Still, Mira was Keith's _sister_...

"Well, you two made it back in time for dinner," Runo said, turning away and looking at them over her shoulder. "Come on, we'd better go." She started walking.

"Yes!" Dan yanked his arm back in the universal symbol for 'oh yeah!' and ran to catch up to Runo.

Keith was about to follow, but he thought he saw a flash of something outside. _What could—_

"Keith?" Mira was standing closer to the door, watching him. "What's wrong?"

Quickly, Keith shook his head. "Nothing," he said. He turned away so he was facing the opposite direction than the rest of them. "I'm not joining you for dinner."

"What? But it's Taco Tuesday!" Dan said.

"That means nothing to me, Dan Kuso."

"It means we're having tacos! Duh!"

Keith rolled his eyes, glancing at them over his shoulder. "I mean I don't care. Do I have to spell everything out for you?"

"Oh." Dan paused. "How can you not care that it's Taco Tuesday?"

"Because unlike you, I don't obsess over small things like that." Keith looked ahead again. "I'm going to Bakugan Interspace."

"Keith—" Mira started.

"Maybe I can try and make more sense of the rest of the phantom data," Keith said, cutting her off, and he walked away in the direction of his room so he could grab Helios before going. The excuse would help clear his head, he hoped. Besides, he could brawl against the digital Bakugan. That would definitely work as a last resort, since everyone knew he brawled as Spectra anyway. The Vestal brawler walked into his room, softly calling his Bakugan's name.

"I'm right here," Helios growled. He wasn't in his usual spot on the nightstand this time, though. The Pyrus Bakugan was on the windowsill, staring outside. He didn't even turn to look at Keith.

"Is something wrong?" Keith walked over and picked him up.

"You tell me," Helios replied.

Keith lightly stroked him. "It wasn't anything _too _bad."

"Sure it wasn't. Because you aren't scared of the predictions of being 'darker' at all," Helios growled sarcastically.

Keith automatically flinched. Then he sighed. "You weren't supposed to come."

"I should care what I'm supposed to do why? Besides, it's not like I was the only one."

"What?"

"Drago came, too." Helios hopped to Keith's shoulder. "Of course, now that I know what it _was_, we should've brought _everyone_!"

"I told you before, Helios. Telling them won't do any good."

"You don't know that, Keith! For all you know, telling them will be what you need to quit dozing."

"I'm not going to fall asleep again. Not after everything that's happened."

"So why don't you believe that?"

Keith was silent. He wanted to believe that he had more control than he did, but the fact was, Helios was right. Knowing that he couldn't win this argument, Keith changed the subject. "You were staring out the window, Helios. Did you notice—"

"—that flash? It was kind of hard to miss," Helios growled. "But I'm surprised _you_ saw it."

"I was avoiding Dan Kuso. Of course I saw it."

Helios shrugged, or did something similar, since it was kind of hard to shrug in ball form. "So are we going to go check it out or what?"

Keith smiled. "What do you think?" He started to leave the room.

"Leave it here," Helios growled suddenly.

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Unfortunately, Keith did. He sighed, but pulled out Spectra's mask, hesitating before setting it down on the nightstand. Turning away from it, he softly said, "Satisfied?"

"Not until we get out there," Helios said. The Vestal battler smiled and left the room.

* * *

"So what were you and Keith doing, anyway?" Julie asked Dan. Everyone had finished eating, and now they were all scattered around the living room.

"Oh—just checking something," Dan lied, mentally wincing. He hated lying to his friends and honestly had no idea how Keith could do it so easily.

"Checking what?" Runo asked.

"Just...I don't know, a ton of stuff." A sudden thought occurred to Dan: _so how much is Keith lying about?_ Dan instantly forced the thought away. Keith was their friend and Mira's older brother! He was genuinely trying to protect them by keeping his secret...but it seemed too much like what _Spectra_ would do.

"Like what?" Baron said.

"Like...stuff. We kinda wandered." Dan didn't think anyone believed him, but no one nagged, and everyone let it drop when Marucho turned on some anime series called _Code Geass_ something-or-other. It looked like an interesting show, but Dan was too distracted to focus on it, so he left the room.

The battler wandered to his bedroom. "Hey, Drago," he said tiredly as he walked in and practically collapsed on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Drago said, hovering in the air near Dan.

Dan laid the side of his face on the pillow. _How was I supposed to know what the fortune teller told him before? It's not like I was _trying_ to torture him._ "Nothing."

"Is it what the fortune teller said?"

"Drago!" Dan lifted his head to stare at his guardian.

"It was Helios's idea to follow you," Drago said quickly. "But is that it or not?"

"Yeah." Dan let his head drop again. "We're friends! Can you blame me for being worried?"

"Easy, Dan. You don't have to get defensive. I just wanted to know," Drago said soothingly.

"So you heard everything?"

"All of it."

"Good." _At least I don't have to keep it hidden from Drago._ Exhausted, Dan rolled over and closed his eyes. It was several minutes, but eventually, he fell asleep.

* * *

**Dan: How come I didn't notice the flash? And what was it?**

**Me: You didn't because you were too busy trying to lie to your girlfriend.**

**Dan: Runo isn't my girlfriend!**

**Me: And it's a surprise for next chapter! I had a different half-idea for it, but I decided to go with my gut on the first one 'cause it didn't fit with her character. But I'll say what it was when she appears.**

**Keith: *glancing at the time* You do realize...**

**Me: Yeah, I know. Sorry, guys, but I have to sign off now. Places to go, people to see, and whatnot. If you could all just click the little button over the blue writing down there, I would be eternally grateful! Thanks!**


End file.
